


A Story, Bought and Sold

by mitsukai613



Category: The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:01:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23368867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mitsukai613/pseuds/mitsukai613
Summary: John has finally done a favor for Queen Mab great enough for a favor in return. Rather than any physical reward, he requests the true story of Tam Lin, in the hope that it will contain information to free Harry from his role as the Winter Knight.
Relationships: Harry Dresden/Johnny Marcone
Comments: 12
Kudos: 57





	1. Chapter 1

Mab's gardens were beautiful, to say the least. They grew with a life that was impossible in mortal gardens, the flowers stretching high and wide, painted in unreal colors, filling the air with heady perfume. Mab herself fit perfectly amidst the blooms, perched sweetly on a stone bench, feet bare, legs daintily crossed. An image of perfection carefully honed to hide the predator beneath. I could appreciate that, at least. 

I played the same game myself, after all, day after day, whether I was the Baron or the Don. Her statues stared down at us with discomforting life. I recognized one as the Leanansidhe, Mab's own handmaiden who I'd met once, long before. The statue looked almost frightened. All of them did. I knew better than to question them, lest I join their ranks. 

I knelt before the fairy queen, and she offered me her hand. I kissed it, lightly, and for but a moment. My lips tingled and burned, as if frost bitten. She smiled at me, her own lips painted the deep, rich color of blackberries. 

"I thank you for meeting with me, my lady." She nodded, gesturing for me to sit beside her. I obliged, kept as much distance as I could. 

"How could I not, lord Baron? Your troops were essential in the recent skirmish. Tis quite a debt to repay." I smiled, nodded, turned my body to face her fully. 

"Perhaps. But I ask you only for the true story of Tam Lin. Unaltered by years, or by mortal tellers of tales, simply the facts of it." She laughed. The sound scraped against my mind like a razor, but I'd been taught not to flinch. 

"A greater boon than you imply, sweet lord. Though I'm sure you know as much already. You're a man who understands the value of information." She reached out, stroked the back of her hand across my cheek. I kept my breath as steady as possible. Gard had been very clear on what I should say, what I should show, and fear had not been on the list. 

"I do indeed. But for what I've done, I think it fair trade." Her laugh this time was high and tinkling, like shattering crystal. 

"Indeed it is, dear Baron. Information for force, a trade as old as time itself. Fair for you and for me. I accept your bargain. Thrice said and so done." I held a hand out to her, and old custom I'd never been able to break, even if bargaining with a creature such as she. She shook it, nonetheless. 

"Thrice said, so done." I answered. Even I, mortal though I was, could feel the clasp of the bargain around us, ancient, roiling magic barely held in check by her power. 

"Would you have me fulfill my end of the bargain here?"

"I would, my queen. I cannot spend too long in your realm." My heart pounded in my chest, endless, loud enough I could hear the pulse of blood in my ears. 

"Then here it is, Baron, the tale of Tam Lin, told through mine own lips as I recall it happening centuries ago. It begins, as all the great stories, with a lovely maiden. Her name was Janet. She was tall and wild, with hair red as fire, a vibrant magic at her fingertips she knew not how to control. 

She was a wild one, Janet, traveling far and wide across her father's great countryside. He was a lord, you see, one of the finer ones, with much land and many men under his dominion. So Janet's hand was a valuable one, and many offered a fine dowry for it only to be rejected. Her father was a picky man, you see, only a man as fine as a prince would do for his daughter. 

But Janet knew little of this, nor would she have cared. All that occupied her thoughts was roving, exploring the lands and her power that so few of the time would understand. And so does Tam Lin enter the story. He was my knight, strong of shoulder but weak of mind. A foolish youth, but pretty enough. 

When Janet saw him out riding one day, she was smitten. Never before had she seen such a man, a man with magic to him, a man with a power like her own. She thought, perhaps, he could be a teacher to her, a teacher and a friend and one day, even a lover. He saw her and saw the beauty of her face and her form and knew that he would have her. Such was the strength of his mantle, after all. 

Tam Lin was a skilled weaver of stories. He fed her honeyed words, plied her with gifts from the Fay. He taught her some, of course, how to harness the power she held, how to cast simple spells. Nothing too much, nothing that would put him at any real risk with her. She succumbed to his charms, innocent that she was, and became with child. 

Janet would not see Tam Lin again for many months after this. Her father was not pleased that she had been sullied so, that her hand, once so valuable, was now worth nothing. No man of class would have a woman who had had another before him, and he would not have his heir be a man without class. And so it was that Janet was hidden away, and her younger sister became the heir to be married. It was as if Janet had died.

But I had been watching. I admired Janet, felt the strength within her, knew that with the right training she would be a mighty force. And so I began to come to her, in the nights. I stroked her belly, sang her songs, showed her what true magic was. I brought her to my realm, when Tam Lin was gone, gave her beautiful things. She saw me as a friend. A second mother to the child within her. A teacher. A lover. To her I was as three queens rather than but one, the being she'd wished Tam Lin had been to her. The eve her daughter was born, I promised her revenge against Tam Lin and a place in my court, should she wish it.

He had long fallen out of favor with me. He was too headstrong, and lacked the power to back his cockiness. She accepted my offer. And so it was that I brought her and her child to my court. I dressed her finely, paraded her about the courts, across Tam Lin's eye. He'd forgotten her many moons before, but he could not resist her beauty. Night after night I showed her and hid her, and she weaved a spell as old as time upon him. He came to love her.

On Halloween, it came to fruition. She lay with him one last time, and killed him as he slept beside her. With that, the mantle passed from him to her, and she became my Knight, one of the finest I've ever known, and she remained with me happily for some time before the mantle consumed her. Her child grew among the Fay and Chose to remain among us. And so ends the story of Tam Lin. The only spell that releases one of my knights, dear Baron, is death." She smiled, then, sweet as honey, reached out to me and ran her fingers through my hair.

I didn't speak. I felt like a fool. I wondered why, after all this, I thought it could be so simple. Harry truly had managed to get himself into quite a bind, this time. And yet... I couldn't help but think that perhaps there was still a key in the story, somewhere. 

"Of course, my queen. I am grateful for your tale, and hope you don't misunderstand my reason for requesting to hear it." She smiled, pulled my face to her and kissed me lightly. She tasted like fresh snow melt. 

"Certainly not, Baron; you're a fine gentleman, and a smart one. I'm sure I'll see you again." And with that, I found myself back in my office, heart pounding, scarcely able to breathe. But I had gotten what I'd gone for. Now, I supposed, it was simply a matter of finding out how to use it. I would, I swore to myself, see Harry free. I couldn't accept anything else. I smiled to myself. A power only death could break.

But Harry... Harry had come back to life before.


	2. Chapter 2

I called Gard into my office shortly after my return. She arrived with no question as to how I'd returned; she knew better than to ask. Her discretion, after all, had been part of my reason for hiring her. If, in some ways, she also occasionally reminded me of Harry, that was no one's business but my own. 

"Mr. Marcone. Did you learn anything useful from her?" I smiled, and told her the story as it had been told to me. "I'm uncertain as to why you're smiling, John. I don't believe this is quite the news you're looking for, unless you've finally decided that killing Mr. Dresden is the easier solution." 

"Certainly not, nothing about killing that man would be easy, you've said as much yourself. But Harry has died before, has he not? And come back to life again." She frowned, realized immediately what I was considering. But she did sit in the chair at the other side of my desk, and that, at least, meant she was willing to discuss the matter with me.

"It would not work. Coming back to life once is an impressive enough feat, and one achieved due to many factors. One of which, I believe, was the debt he owed to Mab." I smiled to her, steepled my fingers, nodded. 

"Indeed. But more creatures than she have the power to return a man to life. Surely I have enough to offer at least one of them that they would agree to such a bargain." She frowned more deeply, fixed her eyes firmly on mine. 

Her soul, seen so many years before at her insistence when she began working for me, flashed briefly across my mind. It was easy to forget how powerful a being she'd been once, so many centuries ago. How powerful she still was, though she had waned in strength alongside Vadderung.

I admired Hendricks, for being able to match her well enough that she was willing to share a bed with him. They fit well, though they assumed I allowed the relationship to continue only because I didn't know about it. 

"You're a Baron of the Accords, of course you have enough to offer. I simply wish you to reconsider the wisdom of offering any of it." I hummed, nodded, matched her stare. She'd taught me herself how not to back down from such a challenge, after all. 

I knew she was right, of course. What I was considering was stupid, and it was dangerous, and not even Harry himself would think it was a good plan. But Harry was... bad for business. And that made him worth it. He was reckless and uncontrollable, he had an awful temper and a tendency to be an absolute ass even and especially when he was clearly outmatched.

But he was also kind and selfless, and strong, and far smarter than he wanted others to know. He was a contradiction I wanted desperately to understand and eventually that desire had become, quite simply, just wanting him. Whatever I did to save him, Harry, I knew, would help manage the consequences.

"I'm aware, Ms. Gard. However, if we manage the situation correctly, by his own Laws Mr. Dresden would owe us quite a debt, would he not? We could cash that debt in to manage whatever consequences arise. And you've said yourself that he would be a valuable man to have on our side." There it was, my Trump card to get her to agree. However little I planned to actually legally bind his agreement. Contracts made him chafe, after all, and I imagined that he'd be willing enough to help without it. Moreso, perhaps. She sighed. 

"Fine. I'll begin looking into the safer options with the sort of power you'd need, and set up meetings as necessary and possible. But I think you're allowing your heart to cloud your mind." I clenched my teeth, too tight, and my jaw ached for a moment. 

She knew about my infatuation with Harry, of course she did. I'm sure many in my employ had suspected; I made it a point not to hire idiots, after all. But knowing and saying were different things, and it was a line she'd never crossed before. Saying it was... dangerous, for me and for Harry. 

"Ms. Gard, I must ask you not to overstep your bounds. You're a consultant, and I like you. Due to the nature of our agreement, you are of course free to refuse to consult with me on any matter you see fit. But you will not question my motivations." I was the one holding her stare, now, putting all the power I could muster behind my voice, the power of the Baron and the Don, the power of everything I knew.

Her face tensed, and her jaw tilted up. Her expression was a mask of pride, and of anger. She stood stiffly, never broke from my gaze. 

"Of course, Mr. Marcone. I shall remember as much. I'll return when I've found the information you wish." She swept from the room.

I sighed, cupped my head in my hands, knew I'd overreacted, knew it would be some time before I'd be able to gain her forgiveness. I felt stupid, and hollowed out. Knew I was staring at a chasm with a bridge crossing it and choosing to jump into the damn thing instead. But it was for a good reason. And weren't those some famous last words? 


	3. Chapter 3

Gard worked tirelessly over the next weeks, I had to give her that. Perhaps even harder when I told her that she'd been right, that I knew I was doing something foolish, but that I couldn't simply ignore the man I'd come to admire so deeply. She accepted it for the apology it was, though I knew she held her reservations about the plan. 

She brought me name after name, from White Council members like Ebenezar McCoy, to wyldfae like Erlking, even to neutral parties like Ivy. We talked through every single one and found a core problem with each that would prevent their agreement to any deal. Finally, she came to me with something... different, to say the least. 

"I was trying to avoid this, but I think our only option may be Ferrovax." Her voice was cool and flat, with only the faintest traces of her reservations. I leaned forward on my desk, arms crossed, frowning perhaps more deeply than I should. 

"The dragon? I've been in his vault at the Capristi Building, Ms. Gard, I doubt there is much I could offer him greater than what he already has." She laughed, cold, shook her head. 

"Ferrovax is the oldest of his kind, John. He knows the value of what you can offer beyond the material. He is powerful, untied to the White Council and their Laws, untied to the Fairy Courts and their bargains, untied even to Dresden himself and his enemies. He is incredibly fickle and incredibly dangerous, but he is what we have." I swallowed, leaned back again. 

Hearing her lay it out like that... it drove home, I suppose, the game I was playing. Harry's current situation should have already shown me that there were far worse things to lose than one's money, or even one's life. Ferrovax had the power to take everything from me, and he wouldn't bat an eye. I breathed in, deeply, let the knowledge fill me, and then breathed out. Let it go. Harry was worth it. 

"Can we arrange a meeting with him?" I kept my voice steady, by some miracle I didn't deserve. Gard nodded. 

"Easily enough. He gave us contact information when he signed up for the vault. But John...," she paused here, for a moment, gathered her thoughts. "You are one of the stupidest, most frustrating mortals I've ever come to know. But you are a friend to me. I must ask you, one more time, to reconsider what you're doing. I understand Mr. Dresden's importance to you, and it chafes even I to see him in such a state, but there must be a different way." 

I met her eyes as boldly as I was able, leaned forward to her again, trying to project a confidence I didn't feel. She was one of mine; it was my job to reassure her. 

"I understand the danger, Sigrun, and I accept it all onto myself. I will not put you, Nathan, or anyone else in this city at risk with this. But I have to do it. As long as we've been looking, and this is the only plan we've managed to come up with. I think that's because this is the only plan there can be." She held my stare a moment longer, then nodded. 

"Alright. I'll arrange the meeting, then. Keep your schedule as free as you can, I doubt he'll be accommodating to any but his own." I chuckled, to hide the faint whirl of sickness I felt. 

"Thank you, Sigrun. You and Nathan take the rest of the day off, you've both been working too hard." She nodded, and with that, I was alone in my office once again.

* * *

Three days later, and I was in my office again, preparing for a meeting with Mr. Ferro, one of the mightiest being that existed in the world today, next to the likes of Mab herself. It was a difficult thing to put into perspective, and so instead I simply tried to make it feel like any other meeting.

I straightened my desk, made sure my panic button was prepared, made sure my pistol was loaded and easily reached in the top drawer. I wore a vest under my suit, and rings that Gard had inscribed with protective runes. All things I knew would do next to nothing to protect me in the event that this meeting went poorly. 

Ferrovax arrived right on time, stepping through my office door as any man might. He was a few inches taller than average, with broad shoulders, dark hair, and dark skin with a faintly grayish tinge. His eyes, a strange and over bright reptilian shade of green, were the only truly abnormal thing about him, as I'd found to be the case with many supernatural beings. His suit was perfectly fitted, and looked similar to many in my own closet. He sat with enviable grace, and slipped a cigarette from his jacket pocket.

"I'd prefer you not smoke in my office, Mr. Ferro. The smoke detectors are quite sensitive, I've tried to smoke in here myself and found they go off even with the windows open." Which was true. After the third time Harry had caught this building on fire, I'd decided it wise to install some with added sensitivity, just to get the alert out quickly. I kept them even after Harry became a recluse, as some strange, hopeful memento. 

Ferrovax chuckled, slipped the cigarette back in his pocket deftly. His voice was a smooth, rich baritone. 

"Certainly, Mr. Marcone. But after this, you must join me for a cigarette. I roll my own; finest tobacco in all the worlds." I had little doubt. A creature like this, I imagined, had the finest of everything. 

"Of course; I always enjoy a cigarette with a new business partner." His eyebrow quirked up, then, and he chuckled. 

"Confident. You must either be an idiot, or you have something truly fantastic to offer me." His teeth were too white. He reminded me of Vargassi, before Vargassi had grown old and fat and lazy. 

"What I have is a mutually beneficial offer. You know the new Winter Knight, I'm sure; Harry Dresden?" That threw him off balance for just barely a breath, or at least he wanted me to think it did. 

"I've met him once. He is a churlish child with too much confidence in his strength and no respect for his betters." He said it with a smile, though, interest sparking in his eyes, and of course they'd met before. That would, perhaps, make this slightly more difficult. "What could you have to offer me to do with the Winter Knight? Do you wish him dead? Surely you have others who could do such a thing, he is not so formidable a foe." I laughed, kept my face as neutral as I was able. 

"In so many words, yes, Mr. Ferro, I'd like you to kill him. But more importantly, I'd like him brought back to life after." I've never seen any creature laugh like Ferrovax laughed then. There was pure wildness in it, untamed, and by the end, he was clutching his stomach. 

"You surprise me, John Marcone. You want him freed of his Mantle, then? You're the first to try it like this, I'll give you that, and it could work. I won't bother asking you why. But what I will ask, is what shall I receive in return? You ask me to do a dangerous thing indeed, risk the wrath of the fairies and the wizards and even the claimers of souls in the great beyond." I nodded. And here... here was the dangerous part. 

"I offer you myself. My service and my life, however you wish to take it." I could hear my heart pounding in my chest, blood pulsing in my ears, deafening. Harry was worth it. Even if I signed a bargain I couldn't escape, he was worth it. A smile twisted across his face, then and he leaned close to me. His smell stood out from the perfection of the rest of him, all acrid smoke. 

"That is a dangerous bargain, John. You want his freedom badly, clearly; I must ask now, what is he to you?" I tried not to answer, but his voice forced the answer from me, effortless, a clear display of the strength he held. I hadn't even noticed a spell being cast. 

"He is everything, but he doesn't know it. I've managed to fall in love with him I think." I froze. I'd never said it aloud before. My chest felt tight, as if I were dying. He slipped away from my face and out of my mind. 

"Amusing. I'll never cease to be amazed at the foolishness of mortal hearts. But I will take your offer, John Marcone. You're a valuable piece to play in the board, and so you will be tied to me for as long as I shall have you. Think of it as being the knight of the dragons, as the wizard is the knight of the Winter." I closed my eyes, for just a moment. One last chance to back out. 

"I ask only that this bargain remain as secretive as possible. I'd prefer not worrying those under my employ overmuch." He hummed, nodded, turned to face me fully in his chair. 

"That is reasonable enough. Of course, simply by nature of this agreement, I will grant you a few other benefits. Extended life, a bit of enhanced strength, enhanced healing. Little things to prevent you from dying too quickly while under my employ. But if I call you, you come, and you do as I say. We will not be business partners, you are a servant to me. Understood?" He spoke calmly, coolly, a being more used to being in control than even I. 

"Understood. I will call you when the deed is to be done. I want it to be at the right time, and for Harry to know what's happening. If he dies in fear, and expends his Death Curse, the situation may not go as expected for either of us." Ferrovax nodded, and held out a hand for me to shake. I took it, and felt a searing pain, as a hot iron, at the center of my palm.

"I, Ferrovax, swear to abide by these terms set forth today by us both. I swear. I swear." I could feel magic enfolding us both, a contract formed as ancient as time itself, a contract that would harm any that tried to break it. I felt the power when he said his name, a True Name, tied to his very soul. 

"And I, Marco De Luca, swear to abide by these terms set forth today by us both. I swear. I swear." With the speaking of my own True Name, not voiced in decades, and my own promise, I felt the bond around us solidify. He dropped my hand. A symbol, fast fading, was burned into my palm. His smile was exactly the sort of smile I'd imagined Smaug to possess, when I read The Hobbit as a child. 

"Now, let's step outside and have that cigarette, yes? To celebrate this new arangement." It was shockingly easy to sign one's life away; I supposed my mother had actually been right about that, when she taught me about the strength of the Devil. I doubted any number of Hail Marys would reverse this, however. I followed him outside, and had the cigarette. The smoke was sweet and lingering at the back of my throat, and when we'd finished, he returned to wherever he'd come from. 

When Nathan and Gard asked me later what I'd given in the agreement, I told them I'd simply sold the Shroud of Turin and a few more lucrative businesses and properties. They didn't believe me, I wouldn't think, but at the very least, they didn't ask. And that, I supposed, was the best I could hope for for the moment.

* * *

Securing a meeting with Harry himself was shockingly simple, after everything else. He was allowed some freedom, after all, at least when Mab wasn't actively requesting his service, and as such he still spent much of his time in Chicago. Knowing that made his avoidance of others more painful. 

He agreed to meet with me under the pretense of Accords business, a wonderful catchall term I'd discovered not long after my ascension to Baron. It opened quite a few doors. He looked... ragged, to say the least. Well taken care of, certainly, but... not like himself. 

His hair was longer than I was accustomed to seeing it, and while he'd always been thin, he seemed more solid now, as if he'd lost what little fat he had. He seemed tired, as well, dark circles thick under hazy, distant eyes. I nodded to him, and he sat across from me at the small, French cafe I'd selected for the meeting. I couldn't help but smile a bit, at the sight of him folded in front of the small, dainty table, massive hands dwarfing the teacup he sipped from. 

"Marcone. What's going on? I'd rather spend as little of my day scumbagging as possible." My lips twitched further into the smile, however silly it seemed. Funny how a person can begin to miss even insults. 

"I wanted to discuss your current situation with you, Harry." He tensed, fingers gripping the cup so tightly I thought it might crack. 

"Don't call me that, Marcone. And it's not your business. You have my word I won't hurt the city and that's all that matters." I laughed, couldn't help it, and he jolted at the sound. There were new scars on his hands, I noted, pale and silvery across his knuckles. 

"It's not all that matters, actually. You're part of my city, Mr. Dresden, and your safety does concern me. I wanted to propose a bargain." His frowned, faint flecks of the Mantle's power flashing in his eyes, and he laughed at me, loud and long. No one looked at our table. I expect they knew better.

"This isn't Accords business, Marcone, and you damn well know it. Stars, you don't own me, you never owned me, and you never _will_ own me. I'm leaving." He stood. I reached out, grabbed his arm before I thought of how stupid that really was. He froze. His skin felt like ice melting in the warmth of my hand. He sat back down, slow, slow, eyes narrow and wary. I met his eyes, and let the precious memory of his soul flicker across my mind. 

"Talk fast, Marcone, and keep it vague." I nodded, let go of his arm. He didn't wear his duster much, anymore, or his jewelry, beyond the pentacle around his neck. I wondered if it was because he was now too strong to need it, or if it was some subconscious suicidal ideation. 

"Your current position isn't ideal for either of us, but it is one tied to you until you die. Many have the power to return a man to life, and those many can be bought for the right price. I have become acquainted with one such being." He wasn't stupid, no matter what he liked me to think. He caught on quickly to what I meant, I could see it in his eyes, and he let out a heavy sigh as he shook his head and stood. 

"I don't want to die quite that much yet, scumbag, and if I did I'd go to someone who'd do the job right. I'll see you at the next meeting." And with that, he was gone. I swore under my breath, low and bitter.

I'd need to negotiate with him better, make him trust me, make it clear that this wasn't some convoluted plot to get him to let me murder him. And, of course, I'd need to get him somewhere where Mab couldn't hear us to actually explain the plan to him. It would take time. But of that, at least, I supposed I'd now have plenty.


	4. Chapter 4

After the deal with Ferrovax, my body started to change. Slowly, of course, but changed nonetheless. I felt constantly too warm, as if I had a low grade fever that refused to break. A burning of my blood, my mother would've said. I felt little need for sleep, went days without it and scarcely noticed; there was too much in my head, a nagging pressure, a presence. It was... difficult, for me, never truly feeling alone. So too had pain become numbed, beyond the occasional sting of my branded palm; no matter how hard I worked my body, I felt no discomfort. 

And I'd been working my body quite a bit harder. I had grown stronger, as Ferrovax has promised; I'd had to dramatically increase the intensity of my daily exercise to even break a sweat. I could run at a steady pace for over an hour, could lift weights I'd scarcely imagined with ease. My awareness was heightened, each sense just a bit sharper than before. It was difficult, sometimes, to remember that I would ultimately need to dissolve this arrangement. 

The need to hide from my friends and from my employees, the knowledge that I'd done this for Harry, reminded me of the situation deftly enough, however. 

Gard and Nathan were suspicious, though. There was no avoiding that, they were both far too intelligent to believe what I'd told them. But it was simple enough to keep them too busy to make any real progress in discovering the true nature of what I'd done. For the moment, at least. And hopefully I'd not have to lie to them for long, it grated at me. All for Harry, that was thing to remember. For the man I loved, to bring him home. 

I'd called him to my office to discuss his werewolves on the college campuses, to perhaps male a desk with them to protect other schools in the city as well, with my blessing if not my support. It was a worthwhile cause and I hoped he'd agree to provide me their contact information and his approval, though of course it wasn't my primary need for his visit. 

I fingered the cool, white runestone in my pocket, cradled it in my palm. Gard had said that if I triggered this, it would block any outside mental presences in my office for two minutes. Long enough, I hoped, to get Harry to agree to my plan. The knock on my office door, fifteen minutes later than it should've been, was at least something I expected. I smiled, for a moment, before I schooled myself back into as much neutrality as possible. 

"Come in," I called, and Harry pulled the door open, strode in and sat like he owned the office. His hair had been cut since I saw him last, perhaps a bit raggedy, though it suited him well. Less appealing was the cut under his left eye, the dark bruise spreading around it. 

He stared me in the eye with a boldness I allowed from very few, and stiffened quite suddenly. Confusion and perhaps even concern bled across his features, hidden poorly behind the brown bottle glass of his eyes. I smiled to him, faint, hoping against hope that he hadn't immediately seen my bargain, that he wouldn't run. But he just sat there, looking at me, frozen like all of Mab's statues. I missed his fire. 

"It's good to see you, Mr. Dresden. As you're aware, I wished to speak with you regarding the Alphas. I'm aware of the work they currently do, and wondered if perhaps they could be persuaded to expand their range a bit, potentially deal with a few mundane threats as well as the supernatural. Small time dealers and the like, you understand." Harry tilted his head, squinted his eyes, cartoonishly suspicious. I'd always found it funny, the number of secrets he kept when he was so bad at hiding so much else. But finally, he just shrugged. 

"Probably, they're good guys. But like, theyre not my property, if you want to bargain with them, call them up yourself. I'm sure you can figure out their numbers with your scumbaggery, scumbag." I chuckled, shook my head, leaned forward just a bit across the desk. 

"They're your friends, and I assume share your particular sense of... let's say morality. I assumed this endeavor would be simpler and have a greater chance of success if you granted your full approval. This could protect a lot of people I can't reach, particularly around the schools." He nodded, leaned back, never broke his gaze from mine. I could see the man I truly knew, just beneath the surface, and wanted to touch him. I triggered the rune in my pocket just as he opened his mouth to speak. I interrupted, just as I noticed the sudden, jarring emptiness in my own mind. 

"Now let me protect you too. I made a bargain with the dragon Ferrovax. If he kills you, and returns you to life, you'll be free of Mab. The bargain is made at no cost to you or yours; all I need you to do is say yes." He jerked back, the chair scraping across the floor, all wild eyes, breath ragged. And then suddenly, just for a moment, relief. 

"What did you do, John?" His voice was soft, almost but not quite warm. Familiar, at least. 

"This won't last long Harry. Just say yes." 

"Not this ward you cast. I get that Gard can do some crazy shit given time and resources, and I get that I'm gonna get my ass handed to me later for blocking her out even for a minute. But I need to know what deal you offered Ferrovax for him to do this." I breathed in, deep, let the air fill me, held it for a moment. Let it go. I couldn't tell him, not yet; if he knew the cost of it, he'd just try to save me without taking the benefit. Forever the hero, forever the martyr, forever bad for fucking business. 

"Nothing that concerns you, or that will harm you. I need you to trust that." His eyes were endless, swirling with life and and magic and emotion, free of the ice for just this breath. I'd missed that, so much. He reached out, lay a hand on my arm, so cold it burned. He hissed, jerked back. The outline of his hand was burned into me, where he'd touched. 

"Hell's Bells John. You didn't." I flinched.

"Please, Harry. We don't have much time. Just say yes." The seconds felt like eternities as they passed. He closed his eyes and I could see him... let go, I suppose. Allow himself some hope, or something like it at least. 

"Tentatively. I'm not agreeing until I know exactly what's going to happen, and details about this stupid deal you made." I felt the weight fall from my shoulders just as the heavy pressure of Ferrovax's mind flooded back. Harry flinched too. 

"That's fair. Shall we meet later to hammer out the final details and exchange the contact information?" Harry, blessedly, was quicker on the uptake than he pretended to be. 

"Yeah, neutral ground, we can meet at Mac's." 

"Tonight?" He nodded, pushed back from my desk, and swept away. My arm stung where he'd touched me, bitter and longing. Like a whisper, Ferrovax's voice brushed across my mind. 

"Let's keep the service interruptions to a minimum in the future." I felt ill, didn't bother to respond aloud, knew he'd feel my acknowledgment. As if I had a choice. I'd forgotten how much being beneath someone chafed at me. But this was the only way. And Harry would always be worth it. 


End file.
